The Last One
by CathGilLove
Summary: Max Grissom's arrival is fraught with problems.
1. Chapter 1

Title: The Last One

Author: ANNE (the insane one)

Rating: CSI-2

Summary: Max Grissom's arrival is fraught with problems.

Disclaimer: Characters et al belong to the people that make CSI. I own Matthew, Elizabeth, James and Max.

Warrick and Mandy are married

Nick and Debbie are married and have one child, Alexander who is 2

Greg and Claire are married

Catherine Grissom blinked and stared at the stick. Positive.

Pregnant.

Again.

Fair enough…she and Gil didn't exactly have a dormant sex life…in fact, it was probably more active than most couples…but pregnant? She had a sixteen year old, a six year old, a three year old and an eighteen month old. Another baby.

And she had to tell Gil.

"Hey, sweetheart…"

Catherine's eyes widened and she tossed the stick into the trash as her husband came into the bathroom. Of course, she had to be married to a CSI. With that familiar look of concentration on his face, Gil deftly picked the stick up.

"If my memory serves me correctly, the last time we used one of these and we saw these little lines, we had Jamie."

Catherine bit her lip, not willing to look him in the eye.

Gil carefully placed the stick on the bathroom counter and washed his hands. He walked slowly over to her, tilting her head up to look at him.

"Cath?"

"I'm pregnant."

Gil's hand rested on her abdomen, the other cupping her cheek. "And you're not happy."

"It's not that…" she murmured, looking up at him again. "Wait…you're happy about this?"

He smiled at her, pressing a kiss to her lips. "Cath, we made a baby together. How could I not be ecstatic?"

"We have four children. Jamie's only a year old…I…god, I want this baby, Gil. But I thought you'd be mad."

Gil smiled at her. "I'm not. We made a baby together." He pressed a small kiss to her lips. "We can work it out. We always have."

Catherine smiled back at him. "We're pregnant."

Gil grinned. "We're pregnant."

He pressed a deep kiss to her lips, holding her tight against him. Catherine moaned and wound her arms around his neck, glad that the kids were asleep….

"OW! MOMMY! SHE BIT ME!"

"DID NOT!"

"DID TOO!"

"DADDY!"

The couple pulled apart, touching and caressing.

"Sounds like Matt and Lizzie are about to murder each other," Catherine murmured.

"We'll continue this later," Gil promised, caressing her cheek.

They headed into the room that Matt and Jamie shared, finding Matt sitting on the floor holding his arm, and Lizzie with a smug look on her face, sitting on the other side of the room. Jamie was quiet, playing with blocks.

"What's going on?" Catherine asked.

"Lizzie bit me!" Matt said.

"Did not," Lizzie pouted, sticking her tongue out at him. "Did it himself!"

"Elizabeth," Catherine warned.

Matt rolled his eyes and held his arm out. Then he bit himself on the arm. "Compare the bite marks then!"

Catherine sent her husband a look.

"What? It's not my fault he knows a lot about forensics. You're a CSI too, remember?"

Catherine rolled her eyes. "Elizabeth…do you want Mommy to go and find the magnifying glass?"

Lizzie's eyes widened. "'Izzie sorry."

"We do not bite other people in this house," Gil instructed. "The only thing we bite is our food."

Lizzie nodded slowly.

"But Daddy, you bite Mommy's neck too," Matt said. "Mommy's not food."

Lizzie nodded solemnly. Gil was flustered and turned to Catherine, who was blushing furiously.

"Well…" Catherine started to explain. "Daddy's not actually biting Mommy. And Mommies and Daddies are allowed to do these things. And, a long time from now, if you are a Mommy or Daddy, you can do that too."

"A VERY long time," Gil reiterated.

"Yes, a very long time. And Mommy and Daddy want to know before you even think about it."

"I'm confused," Matthew said.

"That's a good thing," Gil assured him. He turned to Lizzie. "What do we say to Matt?"

"Sorry Mattie," Lizzie said.

"Matt, come with me and we'll put something on that," Catherine said.

"Well, I can confirm the pregnancy," Diane Grad smiled as she walked back into the room where Catherine and Gil sat. "Congratulations."

Gil grinned and squeezed Catherine's hand. She smiled back at him.

"We are going to have to talk about some things to do with this pregnancy though," Diane said.

Catherine nodded. "Okay."

"Is there any danger for Catherine or the baby?" Gil asked, worry etched on his face.

"Not at this stage. Catherine is very healthy. But we do need to look at things for further down the line."

"Go ahead," Catherine said.

"Okay. I know that Lindsey, Lizzie and Jamie were all born naturally, but this time, I think you should have a c-section. We'll be doing regular checks on both you and the baby."

"All sounds good to me," Catherine said. "I'm all for not feeling the birth."

"I'm all for not having broken bones in my hand this time," Gil grinned.

Catherine elbowed him. "Who do you think endured the most pain?"

Gil smirked, rubbing his side. "Definitely you, dear."

Gil walked into the house, finding Lizzie and Jamie playing with blocks in the corner.

Matt came to greet him. "Hi, Dad."

Gil took in the solemn face. "Hi. Where's your mom?"

"She's upstairs in the bathroom. Been throwing up all afternoon. I got Lizzie and Jamie an afternoon snack."

Gil ruffled his hair. "Good boy." He walked quickly over and kissed Lizzie and Jamie on the heads. "I'll go check on Mom."

He went upstairs, finding Catherine crouched next to the toilet in their bathroom. He got a hand towel and dampened it, before sitting down beside her. Gil took her in his arms, and gently dabbed her sweaty forehead with the towel.

"Tell me where all-day sickness is supposed to be part of the deal," she murmured, resting against him.

"Bad, huh?"

"Nightmarish. I haven't been able to keep anything down all day," Catherine groaned.

"What can I do?" Gil asked, wanting to help her.

"Just hold me," she whispered, her eyes closing.

"How about we get you in bed?" he murmured. "I'll make sure you have something right there in case you need to be sick, but I think you should lie down for a while."

Catherine nodded and Gil gently picked her up in his arms. He lay her down on the bed, covering her with the covers.

"I'll just get you something in case you need to be sick. And some soda crackers and water."

Catherine smiled gratefully and Gil disappeared out of the room.

A few moments later, Matthew appeared in the room. "Mom?"

Catherine looked over at him, a small smile on her face. "Hi, sweetheart."

Matt slowly made his way over to the bed and crawled up on it. "I gave Lizzie and Jamie an afternoon snack, and they're watching The Muppets."

Catherine ruffled his hair. "You're a great kid. I really appreciate it."

Matt's eyes were wide. "Are you gonna die?"

Catherine hugged him to her. "No, no honey. Mommy just doesn't feel well in the tummy. Just like you when you have a tummy ache."

"Good," Matt said, hugging her. "I love you."

"I love you too. And you're such a great help."

Gil returned with some water and soda crackers. "Hey, I see you have a friend."

Catherine smiled, stroking Matt's hair. "Mhm."

"Try nibbling on these," Gil suggested. "You need to get some food into you, Cath."

Catherine nodded and accepted the soda crackers. "Thank you."

"VISITORS!" Lizzie announced, dragging Jamie in with her. "Hi, Mommy!"

"We have visitors do we?" Catherine asked, smiling weakly at the two kids. "Who are you?"

"I'm Lizzie and this is Poo-poo head."

Gil groaned. "Lizzie, don't call your brother poo-poo head."

"Poo-face?"

"Or that one," Catherine said, nibbling on the crackers. "And how is Mr. Jamie?"

Gil lifted Jamie and Lizzie on the bed, and Jamie went to lie next to his mother, playing with his fingers.

Gil leant over and gave Catherine a gentle kiss on the forehead. "If these guys behave themselves for a few minutes, I'll go and get started on their dinner. Call me if you need me?"

Catherine smiled, her hand resting on his arm. "I will. I love you."

Gil grinned. "I love you back."

Three months later, a five-month pregnant Catherine Grissom slammed the car door. "I'm not discussing this with you!"

Gil groaned. "Catherine…"

"There is no need for me to leave work yet. Thank you, very much!" Catherine stalked into his office, slamming the door.

Nick came to stand beside Gil. "Mood swings?"

"You have no idea," Gil sighed.

"Did you tell her about the trip away you were planning?"

"I haven't managed to get to that yet. Somehow, we got onto when she was giving up work."

Nick smirked. "And that went REAL well, obviously."

Gil frowned. "Yeah." He sighed. "It went very badly."

"So what are you going to do?"

"Stay out of the line of fire. When she cools down, then I'll go and tell her."

"Hmm. You should go talk to her now."

Gil glanced at Nick. "Are you nuts?"

"No. I'm just saying, it might cheer her up."

Gil thought about that for a moment. "If you haven't heard from me in twenty minutes, come and get me."

Nick smirked, watching his boss head off to his office.

"Catherine?" Gil closed his office door behind him. He took a deep breath. "Catherine?"

"Yes."

"Cath, I'm sorry. I just…I worry about you. And Diane said that you have to take it easy with this pregnancy."

Catherine looked around, tears streaming down her face. Gil's eyes widened and he raced over to her, his arms hugging her close. "Cath, sweetheart. I'm sorry."

"I hate…pregnancy…hormones," she said between sniffles.

"It's alright," Gil assured her. "It's going to be fine."

"I love you."

Gil smiled, hugging her close. "I love you too." He kissed her gently. "I have a surprise for you."

"What is it?" she asked.

"We're inflicting our kids on the babysitter and spending a weekend away. Just you and me."

Her eyes lit up. "Really?"

He nodded. "Yep. Just you and me. All alone. We can just take time out for a while, before the baby arrives."

Catherine smiled, snuggling closer. "I really like that idea."

Warrick looked dubiously at Lizzie, who was smiling sweetly at him. "She's giving me that look again."

"Which one? The potty one?" Catherine asked, leading Jamie by the hand.

"Good god, I hope not."

"She's just happy," Gil muttered, picking up his daughter and smiling at her. "Aren't you beautiful?"

"Mommy and Daddy going."

"Only for a little while, sweetheart," Catherine assured her. "Only two nights."

"Promise?"

"Promise," Catherine replied, kissing her on the top of the head.

"It's okay, mommy," Matthew said. "I'll take good care of them."

Catherine hugged her son. "I know you will."

Warrick looked at Gil and Cath. "Ready to go?"

Catherine looked at her husband. "Just one last kiss and hug."

Gil smiled and they both hugged and kiss their children one last time.

After leaving final instructions with the baby-sitter, the couple allowed Warrick to drive them to Mt Charleston, where they had taken a room for the weekend.

"You really didn't have to drive us all the way out here, Warrick," Catherine told him as he helped Gil get the bags out of the trunk.

"Sure I did. You two would probably get lost after arguing over directions."

Gil gave Warrick a dirty look. Warrick shrugged back at his boss.

"Anyway, you two get up to…" He stopped. "I'm not going there. Have fun, and I'll see you on Sunday night?"

"Thanks, Warrick," Catherine said, kissing his cheek. "Have a good weekend."

"We certainly will," Gil said, taking Catherine's hand.

Warrick groaned. "Thanks, Griss. Thanks a lot."

--


	2. Chapter 2

2

Jamie studiously built up his block pile, trying to create what Nick thought was a castle. Lizzie played with her Barbie doll while Matt sat quietly perusing his picture book. Nick thought they were being too good.

His wife came back into the room after getting Alexander into his pajamas. "Alright, who's next on the pajama round?"

Nick looked at his wife. "They're being too good."

Debbie arched an eyebrow. "Too good?"

"They're so quiet. It's creepy."

"Nick, just because Alexander races around like an Energizer bunny, doesn't mean that Grissom and Catherine's children are abnormal."

"It's weird."

"We can still hear you, you know," Matt supplied, not looking up from his book.

Nick gave his wife a pointed look. She rolled her eyes.

"Okay, I'm taking Jamie and Lizzie. How about you and Matt read together for a while." She chuckled and took the little ones into the bathroom.

--

"Wow," Catherine decided, as she lay sprawled atop her husband. "Now I know the cure for pregnancy hormones."

"Mmm, really?" Gil asked, nuzzling her neck.

"Making love with my husband. Should be bottled and we'd make a fortune."

Gil arched an eyebrow. "Either you're babbling or you're seriously considering hiring me out as a sex slave."

She burst out laughing and then kissed him deeply. "The only person you're allowed to have sex with is me, Gil Grissom."

Gil smiled broadly, kissing her again. "You're the only one I want to have sex with, Mrs Grissom."

"Gil?"

"Yes, my darling."

"You don't think having another baby is crazy, do you?"

Gil gently stroked some hair away from her face before resting his hand on her abdomen. "Don't you think it's a bit late to be asking me that?"

"Probably."

"Catherine…I can't wait to meet this little person. Who, if God is kind, will look like you."

"You're a very handsome man, Gil." She kissed him gently. "You certainly turn me on."

"I'm glad to hear it." His hand gently caressed her spine, smiling as she let out a purr of pleasure. "Everything's going to be okay, Cath. You and I made a baby together. How could that ever be crazy?"

"That is true," Catherine agreed.

"We're going to have a wonderful addition to the family. And you are going to become even more beautiful as the baby grows. And I will cherish the first time I see our child."

"You know, no one would ever realize how romantic you are."

Gil smiled and kissed her again. "Only for you." He paused for a moment. "Please don't share my romantic side with the rest of the team."

--

One month later, Lizzie was ready to start kindergarten. Catherine had carefully helped her daughter dress in denim overalls and a pink t-shirt. She'd put the strawberry blonde hair into pigtails with blue ribbons. Lizzie had helped pick out her Barbie lunchbox and Gil had made her some lunch to take with her.

"Don't like this idea," Lizzie decided, as Gil buckled her into her car seat.

"Kindergarten will be fun, sweetheart," Catherine assured her, buckling Jamie into his seat. "You'll be just like Matt!"

"Don't wanna be a boy," came the reply.

"Boys are better," Matt told her, sitting in his seat.

"Are not!"

"Are too!"

"Are not!"

"Are too!"

"ARE NOT!"

"Okay, okay!" Catherine cried. "Before we do damage to Mommy's ears, let's agree to disagree."

"That doesn't make any sense," Matt replied.

"Mommy needs quiet," Gil explained to them. "And we love both boys and girls in this family."

"Okay, I'm going now," Lindsey said, racing out of the house.

"We can drop you on the way if you want," Catherine suggested.

"Mom, seriously? Being taken to school by my parents? I'm sixteen, not six."

"Hey! I'm six!" Matt objected.

Lindsey rolled her eyes. "I'm telling you, mom, that kid so better be a girl. Otherwise this family is in big trouble!"

--

Lizzie stared disapprovingly at the room she had been led into. "Go home now."

"No sweetheart," Catherine said, taking her hand. "You get to stay and play here with all the other little boys and girls."

"And look at all the toys," Gil told her, shifting Jamie to his other hip.

The girl wrinkled her nose. "Mine better."

"But there are different ones, and new ones," Gil suggested.

"We take home," Lizzie decided.

"Well, who is this?" A young brunette woman came over to the group.

Lizzie stuck her hand out. "Lizzie Gwissom. We go home now."

"She's a little nervous," Catherine explained, smiling at the woman.

"That's okay. Lots of the others are too." The woman bent down to Lizzie's height. "I'm Grace. It's nice to meet you Lizzie."

Lizzie glanced up at her mother. She had the same skeptical look on her face that Catherine had worn herself many a time. "So not happening."

Jamie pointed a finger at Grace. "Short."

Catherine glanced at Gil, who shrugged.

"She's all you," he told her, a broad smile on his face.

--

Catherine paced her hallway, while Jamie sat in his doorway swing, his head following her back and forth. Her hand rested on her belly and she muttered to herself as she wandered.

"Cath? Honey? What are you doing?" Gil asked, standing behind Jamie's swing.

"Thinking," she replied, continuing to wander.

Gil looked down at Jamie, whose head was still following his mother. "What about?"

"About Lizzie. About Lindsey. About Matt. Jamie. The baby. You."

"Okay. Uh…care to narrow it down any further?"

"No."

"Cath…" Gil stepped out from behind Jamie's swing and took her in his arms. "I don't know what all this is about, but you need to take it easy. For you and the baby."

"I'm fine, Gil."

"Well, you're confusing me. And you're going to give Jamie whiplash if you keep pacing."

"I'm scared."

Her husband paused and then looked at her. "What?"

"I'm scared."

"Of what?"

"What do you mean 'of what?'" she asked, looking surprised. "Gil…I'm about to have another baby. At my age. I'm thinking about what could…happen."

He frowned. "Excuse me?"

"I've got to do some things. Before the baby arrives."

"Such as?"

Catherine just stared at him, not wanting to go somewhere that she knew would upset him. Gil hated to discuss issues of mortality at home, because it concerned his family – people he valued more than anything.

"I need to update my will, for one thing. To include the new baby."

Gil gritted his teeth. "I don't see what one thing has to do with the other."

"Don't be naïve, Gil. I'm not in my twenties anymore. Sometimes things happen. Particularly for an older woman giving birth."

"Catherine, nothing is going to happen to you. You don't need to worry about things like that."

She rested a hand on his chest. "Sweetheart, I know you hate talking about things like this. And I get it. Believe me, I do. But I just want to make sure, that should anything happen to me – you and the kids will be okay."

Gil pulled away. "I'm not discussing this anymore, Catherine. I think you're being overdramatic." He picked Jamie up from his swing. "I'm going downstairs to the bug museum."

Catherine let out a deep sigh as she watched Gil stalk off downstairs. She had known that this discussion wasn't going to end well, but she felt he needed to know reality and fact.

The only problem was, that when it came to his family, Gil Grissom wasn't so big on reality and fact.

--


	3. Chapter 3

3

"I love you."

Gil looked up from where he and Jamie were looking at a spider. "I know that. I love you too."

Catherine made her way down the stairs, trying not to recoil at the bugs in the room. She had designated the basement as Gil's bug room, but it still gave her the creeps to know that beneath her house crawled some of the weirdest and most disturbing creepie crawlies she had ever come across.

She walked over to him, kissing Jamie on the top of the head before kissing her husband lightly on the mouth. "And don't you dare think I'm going anywhere."

"Good," Gil replied. "Because if you weren't around, I might have to pack it in too."

"Well, then neither of us can go, because who'd take care of the kids?"

Gil kissed her lightly. "This is all going to be okay, right, Cath?"

She smiled at him. "I can't predict the future, honey. But I'm pretty sure everything will be okay."

He patted his lap. "You know, there's room here for both you and Jamie."

Catherine smirked. "I know you. You just like a pretty girl sitting in your lap."

He grinned back at her. "Only if it's you, darling."

--

Lizzie tapped her foot slowly as she watched the door. The teacher had announced that the parents would be there soon, and she was eager to get out.

Some of the kids here were weird.

Her face lit up as she saw her parents arrive, and her younger brother Jamie in his stroller. "Mommy! Daddy!"

Catherine held out her arms as her daughter ran towards them. "Hey, sweetheart. Did you have fun at kindy?"

"They made me be a boy."

"Excuse me?" Gil's eyes were wide.

Lizzie pointed to a toy house in the corner. "They made me be a daddy when we played house!"

"But you play house at home," Catherine reminded her.

"But I use REAL boys!" Lizzie cried, pointing to Jamie.

Catherine and Gil tried not to laugh.

"What else did you do apart from play house?" Gil asked.

"Played outside with the boys. They're funner," Lizzie replied.

"Fair enough," Catherine said, taking her hand and leading her to the car. "You're a lucky girl then. You have two of them to play with at home."

"What about that one?" Lizzie asked, pointing to Catherine's swollen abdomen. "Boy or girl?"

"We don't know yet," Gil replied. "It might be both."

Catherine glared at her husband. "I am NOT having twins. We'd know that by now."

Lizzie's eyes widened. "TWO babies? Aaagh!"

--

"You're cracked."

"I am not." Gil placed Jamie in his play pen and Lizzie beside him.

"Gil! You're throwing me a baby shower!"

"Of course I am!"

"Gil…this is my fifth child."

"It's still a celebration, isn't it?"

"Of course it is!"

"Then everyone should get a chance to celebrate it." He kissed her gently. "It's exciting, Catherine. We're having a baby."

She lifted an eyebrow. "No kidding."

"Then everyone should participate."

"Yeah, mom! I'm participating!" Matt placed a bag down on the coffee table. "And everyone's coming!"

Catherine narrowed her eyes. "Who's cleaning up?"

Gil smiled sweetly at his wife. "Me, darling."

She smiled back at him, crooking a finger. "Come here."

He made his way over to her, sitting beside her on the couch. She put his arms around her waist, and then rested her hands on his back. "I love you."

Gil grinned. "I love you too, Cath. Very, very much."

Their lips met in a soft kiss, and Matthew watched with disgust as the kiss deepened. As the doorbell rang, he watched his parents ignore it, and then rolled his eyes, heading to the door.

He peered out the peephole and then opened the door. "Hi, Uncle Warrick. Hi, Aunt Mandy. Mom and Dad are making out on the couch. Can they breathe in there?"

Warrick looked at the little boy for a moment, and peered around the corner. Rolling his eyes at the sight of the wrapped up couple in front of him, he groaned. "Yeah, Matt. They can breathe."

"Are they stuck to each other?"

Mandy chuckled. "No, honey, they're not stuck."

"Guys?" Warrick knocked on the wall. "Your son is asking some questions here that I don't feel real comfortable answering."

Gil and Catherine separated, looking both guilty and pleased with themselves. Lindsey had begun making her way downstairs at the doorbell, and she looked between her parents and the new arrivals.

"Oh geez. Were you guys kissing again? You need a hobby."

"I have a hobby," Gil reminded her. "Your mother."

Catherine rolled her eyes and gently poked him in the side. "Behave."

Warrick smirked. "So…"

"We have juice!" Matt cried, racing into the kitchen. "Want some?"

"That's our subtle little icebreaker," Gil said, getting up.

Before their embarrassment could go any further, Greg and Claire arrived.

"Hey guys," Greg smiled. "Happy baby shower!"

Claire rolled her eyes. "I promise, I didn't give him any sugar today."

"Except for my cereal," Greg said proudly.

"You only get that for the toy," his wife told him.

"Dirty!" Greg told her, waving a finger in admonishment.

"How do you stay sane, married to him?" Catherine asked.

"Believe me," Greg said, "she's just as crazy as I pretend to be."

"The different being is that he's not pretending," Claire muttered.

"Hey! I resemble that remark."

Claire sighed and handed over a basket. "Congratulations, Catherine."

"Thanks," Catherine replied, taking the basket. "Let's go out the back. It's nice out there."

The group went out to the back of the house, taking the little ones with them. Gil soon let Nick and Debbie in with their kids, and the children all commenced racing around the backyard.

Claire nudged her husband with her foot. "Go on. I know you want to."

"Who me?" Greg asked, an innocent look on his face.

"Greg."

Greg jumped up, kissing his wife on the forehead. "I love you, baby." With that, he was off, racing after the other kids in the backyard.

"So, not long to go now, right Cath?" Nick asked.

"Three months," Catherine replied. "Luckily. I can't take being all puffed up much longer."

Gil's hand snaked over her belly. "You're beautiful."

"Don't you dare start kissing," Lindsey threatened.

--


	4. Chapter 4

4

"Go."

"You don't look so great, sweetheart."

Catherine glared at him, from where she was sitting up in bed. "Thanks a lot."

Gil sat on the edge of the bed. "You know what I mean, Cath. You look exhausted. And I know you didn't sleep much." His hand caressed her cheek. "I don't want to leave you if you're not well."

He was truly concerned. Her skin was pale, and she had dark rings under her eyes. Although the morning sickness had ebbed during her fifth month, it was starting to return again.

"Gil…"

"You promised me, Cath."

She blinked. "Huh?"

"You said neither of us is going without the other."

"I must really look awful if you think I'm dying."

"I just think you should have someone with you."

Catherine nuzzled her cheek against his warm hand. "I'm fine, honey. Besides, I do have people with me. The kids are here."

"Just promise me that you'll call if you need me. Even if you think it's something trivial."

"Always."

Gil pressed a deep kiss to her lips, which Catherine returned with much enthusiasm.

"Behave yourself, understand?" he told her, getting up from the bed.

"Right back at you, honey." She shifted on the bed. "Hey, Gil?"

"Yeah?"

"I love you."

He grinned back at her. "Love you too, Cath."

--

Gil found himself having a lot of trouble concentrating that evening. He couldn't shake the feeling that something was wrong from his gut. He was also sure he'd be a lot happier if he were at home with Catherine and the kids.

He took a deep breath and stared at the crime scene photos, trying to puzzle out what he was missing. It wasn't a particularly strenuous case – just a random break-in – but he just couldn't concentrate and he couldn't find the evidence he needed to solve it.

When his cell phone rang, he let out an exasperated noise at the intrusion and snatched it up. "Grissom."

Nick and Warrick ran into Grissom, who was barreling down the hallway. He looked particularly frazzled and distressed, and like he had no time for interruptions.

"Griss? What is it?" Warrick asked.

"Catherine. Hospital. Now."

Warrick followed him, jogging to keep up. "You're in no shape to drive. I'm taking you."

"She's bleeding, Warrick. I have to be there. Now."

Nick glanced worriedly after the two men, and then went to inform the rest of the graveshift team.

"Catherine Grissom."

The nurse looked up at Gil, and her eyes went to Warrick and back to Gil again, no doubt taking in their concerned expressions. "Can I help you?"

"I need to see my wife!"

Warrick rested a hand on Grissom's shoulder, trying to calm him down. He'd never seen his boss so terrified or broken down before. "This is Gil Grissom. His wife is Catherine Grissom. She was admitted a little while ago."

"Dr. Grissom?" Another nurse appeared at their sides. "Dr. Gil Grissom?"

Gil turned around to the woman. "Yes?"

"Come with me."

Warrick and Gil followed the woman, Gil firing questions at her.

"Where is she? What happened?"

"Your wife is in distress, Dr. Grissom. We've been trying to stop the bleeding but we're going to have to perform an emergency c-section."

"Now? But she's only just passed seven months!"

"Dr. Grissom, right now, we need to give your wife and your child the best chance of survival we can. The best thing we can do for them is to deliver the baby now."

"Can I be there? Can I see her?" Gil asked, fear in his voice.

The nurse nodded. " You can see her before she goes in. Follow me and we'll get you scrubbed up." She turned to Warrick. "I'm afraid you'll have to wait here, sir."

"That's okay." Warrick turned to Gil. "Don't worry about anything. Just concentrate on Cath and the baby."

"Thanks, Warrick," Gil murmured, following the nurse.

"Catherine?"

A pale and drowsy Catherine Grissom looked up as her husband raced to her bedside. She had already been sedated, and was drifting off. "Gil…I'm sorry. It just…I tried to be…"

"Shh…" he whispered, stroking her forehead and kissing it gently. "It's not your fault. It's not. Everything's going to be fine."

"Gil…I need you to listen to me."

"What is it?" He tried to smile at her, his heart racing.

"If something happens…take care of the baby."

"Nothing's going to happen," Gil promised her. He refused to allow it. He refused to even think about it. "Nothing."

"They said…they might have to do an emergency hysterectomy." Her eyes started to slip closed as the medication took over. "Love you, Gil."

Gil leant down, pressing a hard kiss to her lips and then kissing her forehead. "I love you too, sweetheart. Everything's going to be fine. Just relax and soon we'll meet our baby. I love you, Catherine."

"Dr. Grissom? We have to go now," said the nurse.

"Who's operating?" Gil asked, his eyes still on Catherine's sleeping form.

"Her doctor. Dr Grad."

Gil felt somewhat comforted that someone who knew Catherine was operating, but his insides churned up as he watched them take his wife away.

A defeated Gil Grissom was led out into the waiting room, his shoulders slumped. He barely felt Warrick's arms help support him as they went to sit down on the chair.

"It's bad, Warrick."

"I know, Griss. But she's tough. She'll hang in there."

Gil looked up. "The kids…"

"They're fine. Nancy's got the little ones. Lindsey's on her way. Nick and Greg know."

"I can't lose her, Warrick. She's everything to me."

Warrick said nothing, not knowing what to say. Instead, he supported his friend when the older man was wracked with sobs.


	5. Chapter 5

5

"Gil?"

Gil looked up, seeing Diane Grad there. The woman looked exhausted. He went to her.

"Catherine?"

"She's going to be fine, Gil. It wasn't good. There was a lot of bleeding. She started hemorrhaging, so we had to do an emergency hysterectomy."

Gil closed his eyes. "But she's going to be okay?"

"She's going to be just fine. Exhausted, but fine."

Gil's eyes opened. "The baby?"

Diane smiled. "A boy. He looks like Catherine. He's very small but he's going to be okay. The nurse's are cleaning him up, and then they'll put him in PICU to keep an eye on him."

"Can I…can I see Catherine? And him?"

Diane nodded. "Catherine's going to be settled in her room, so why don't you come and meet your son?"

Gil sat next to the incubator, looking at the little boy. He was fussing, his little hand flailing around. He had Catherine's nose and eyes, and Gil could swear he saw his own chin.

"Hi, handsome," Gil said, sitting down. "I'm your Daddy." He studied the little man with intense interest. "You were certainly impatient, weren't you?"

Gil's hand ran over the name on the incubator. "Baby Grissom." He smiled. "You have a lot of people looking forward to meeting you. You have two big sisters and two big brothers. And the most amazing, wonderful mother."

The nurse stood behind him. "You can touch him, Dr. Grissom. He won't break."

Gil glanced at the woman for a moment, then turned back to his son. Taking a deep breath, he reached in and touched the soft skin of his little boy. He smiled as the baby turned his head to him. "Hi there. I knew you were listening to me."

"Gil?"

Gil turned to see Diane Grad was back. "Yeah?"

"Catherine's awake."

Gil practically burst into his wife's room, stopping only when he saw how pale and tired she looked. Her eyes were shut and she was hooked up to an IV. He tiptoed over to the bed, sitting on the chair next to it.

"Gil?"

He smiled, caressing her cheek. "Hi, beautiful."

Catherine's eyes opened, focusing on him. "Hi. The baby?"

"Is fine," Gil grinned at her. "It's a boy, Catherine. He's so handsome. I think he's going to look like you."

Catherine's face broke into a smile. "A boy. Matt and Jamie will be happy. Is he okay?"

"He's just fine. He's in an incubator to keep him healthy. He's so perfect, Catherine."

"I want to see him," she said, trying to get up.

Gil gently laid her back down. "You'll see him soon, I promise. But Catherine, listen to me. You need to take it easy." He sat closer to her. "It wasn't an easy birth, sweetheart."

"What happened?"

"You lost a lot of blood and you were hemorrhaging." Gil took a deep breath. "They had to do an emergency hysterectomy."

Catherine closed her eyes. "I'm sorry."

"Don't you dare apologize," Gil told her, leaning down so that his head was beside hers. "Catherine…I thought I was going to lose you."

Her hand slowly rose and rested on his back. "I'm not going anywhere. You're stuck with me, bugman."

Gil kissed her lips. "Promise?"

Catherine smiled. "Promise."

The next day, Gil herded three little children into the hospital, with the help of Lindsey. Lizzie had brought her teddy bear, Jamie had a toy truck, and Matt had his airplane. Gil proudly brought a bunch of flowers for his wife, while Lindsey brought up the rear with some baby boy balloons.

"Can we see Mom now?" Matt asked.

Lizzie's hand tugged on Gil's. "Mommy! Mommy!"

Gil stopped in front of Catherine's room, and knelt down in front of his children. "Now, guys, you have to remember what I said. Mommy's just had an operation, and she's very tired. So we have to be especially quiet and careful with her."

"Can we still hug her?"

"I think she'd be upset if you didn't," Gil assured Matthew. He stood up and peered around the door. "Just wait here with your sister for a minute."

Leaving the children with Lindsey, he went inside the room, smiling as he saw his wife sleeping on the bed. While she was still pale, he still thought she was the most beautiful woman he'd ever seen.

He carefully sat on the side of her bed, pressing a feather-light kiss to her cheek. She stirred at the touch, and woke to him tenderly stroking her hair.

"Hi there."

A smile slowly appeared on her face. "Hi back."

Their lips met in a soft kiss, with Gil still a little wary of hurting her.

"Missed snuggling with you last night," she told him, reaching a hand out to take his.

"Missed it too," Gil replied, squeezing her hand gently. "Have you seen Max yet?"

Catherine nodded. "Mhm. He's handsome. Just like his daddy."

Gil grinned and kissed her hand. "I brought you some visitors."

Her face lit up. "Really?"

Gil nodded and softly called Lindsey's name. The teen walked in, carrying Jamie and holding Lizzie tightly by the hand. Matt followed the group.

"Hey, guys," Catherine smiled.

"Hi, Mommy!" Lizzie whispered loudly.

Catherine chuckled, reaching out her arms as Lindsey and Gil helped the little ones onto the bed.

Jamie snuggled up to his mother. "Miss mommy."

"I've missed you guys too," Catherine said. "But you know what? There's a new baby brother who you have to meet."

"Daddy told us!" Matt said, grinning widely. "His name is Max!"

"That's right," she replied. "But he can't come home yet, because he's too small."

"He gonna break?" Lizzie asked.

Gil lifted Matt up onto the bed. "No, he's not going to break. But he has to get a bit bigger and stronger before he can come home."

"How big is he now?" Matt asked.

"He's only five pounds," Gil explained. "Which means he's very small."

"When can he come home?" Lindsey asked.

"At least another month, guys," Gil told them.

Lizzie's eyes were wide. "Mommy here?"

"No," Catherine said, smiling weakly at her daughter. "Mommy will be coming home."

Lindsey watched her mother with a careful gaze. "Are you going to be okay?"

Catherine looked up, and nodded. "Of course."

--

Gil and Lindsey took the children down to meet Max. They were only allowed to peek at him through the window of the NICU. The nurse explained to them that Max had just had something to eat, and was now having a sleep.

"He's so tiny," Lindsey murmured.

"Baby!" Lizzie pointed.

"That's Max," Gil said proudly.

As the younger children looked in awe at the little boy, Lindsey turned to her father.

"Is Mom really going to be okay?"

Gil sighed. "Physically, yes. But leaving Max here when she goes home? It's going to be hard for all of us."

Lindsey nodded and turned back to the baby. "You better come home soon, Max."

--

Later that afternoon, one of the nurses took Catherine down to see her son. She went into the NICU and smiled at the little boy. "Hi Max. Mommy's here."

Hearing the voice, the little baby turned his head toward her. Catherine's smile widened and she sat in the chair next to his crib. "Did you see your brothers and sisters this morning? They all thought you were very handsome."

Her hand reached in and touched his fingers. "You're so perfect. 10 fingers, 10 toes. Little button nose and mouth."

"Mrs. Grissom?"

Catherine looked up as a new nurse arrived. "Yes?"

"Would you like to hold him?"

Her eyes widened. "I can? I won't hurt him?"

"He may be tiny, but he's a strong, healthy little guy." The nurse picked Max up in her arms, smiling at the baby before settling him into Catherine's welcoming arms.

After a few moments of concern, Catherine relaxed into the chair, holding Max tenderly. "Well. Isn't this nice? Just you and me, little buddy."

She extended her little finger and watched as Max curled his fist around it. Catherine smiled contentedly, leaning back against the chair and whispering soft words of love to her son.

"I love you, Max," she told him. "More than anything. And I promise that everything is going to be okay."

The baby yawned and rested his little body in her arms. Catherine smiled and gently stroked his soft skin.

"Mommy's got you."

--


	6. Chapter 6

6

Gil watched his wife with some concern as he pulled the car into their driveway. "Cath? Honey?"

She turned to look at him. "Yeah?"

He parked the car and undid his seatbelt. Reaching over, he took her hand. "How are you doing?"

Catherine plastered a smile on her face as she undid her seatbelt with her free hand. "Fine. A little tired."

"I know it's hard, Cath. It's hard for all of us."

She squeezed his hand. "Really. I'm fine. What's a month?"

Gil narrowed his eyes. Somehow, he didn't quite believe her happy act.

"MOMMY!"

Lizzie came racing out of the house, Matt holding firmly to her little hand. Lindsey followed, with Jamie resting on her hip.

"Hey, guys." Catherine got out of the car, giving each of her children a hug. "It's so great to be home."

"We missed you, Mommy," Matt said, hugging her leg tightly.

"I missed you all too," she told them.

"Mommy never go away again," Lizzie decided adamantly.

Catherine chuckled. "I'll do my best, honey."

Jamie looked earnestly around. "Baby?" he asked hopefully.

Catherine's face fell and she lifted him into her arms. "Max has to stay in the hospital for a little while, sweetheart."

"No baby?"

"He's up at the hospital, Jamie," Gil reminded him. "Remember, we went and saw him."

"Baby come home soon?"

Gil took Jamie from Catherine's arms. "Very soon." He turned to Lindsey. "Can you help your mom upstairs?"

"I'm fine," Catherine said quickly, kissing each of the kids and making her way inside. "Just fine."

--

In the middle of the night, Gil rolled over in his bed to find Catherine's side empty and cold. He frowned, and got out of bed, going in search of his wife.

He checked in on Lindsey first, who was sound asleep. Matt was asleep in his room, and Jamie, who had been transplanted into Matt's room until Max could sleep through the night, was also asleep. Lizzie was snoring softly in her bedroom.

Finally he went into the nursery, sighing softly when he saw Catherine in the rocking chair. She was watching the crib, her hand resting on her abdomen.

"Cath?"

She looked up at him and smiled faintly. "Hey. I didn't mean to wake you up."

"You didn't," he replied, coming closer. "Everything okay?"

Catherine sighed. "The usual problem with giving birth. Your body gets ready to feed the baby, but the baby isn't here."

Gil tenderly caressed her leg. "Is there anything I can do?"

She shook her head. "I expressed. They don't hurt as much now."

"He's safe, Catherine."

"He's not here, though."

"But he will be…"

"I feel like a failure."

Gil's eyes widened and he moved to sit in front of her. "What? Why do you feel like a failure?"

"I couldn't…" She took a deep breath. "I couldn't hold onto him. I needed to wait only another four weeks…and then he might have been okay. Might have been allowed to come home."

"Catherine, he's healthy. Even the doctor and nurses said that. They just want him to gain a little more weight before he comes home. It's just four weeks."

"But he's up there…alone because of me."

Gil got up and carefully lifted her into his arms. "He's not alone, Cath. He's being looked after really well, and he knows that we love him. And we can go visit him everyday, Catherine. Hold him everyday. And very soon we can bring him home." He gently placed her onto their bed, slipping in beside her and covering them with the blankets. "As for you, my darling, you need to get some rest." He kissed her softly and wrapped his arms around her. "Okay?"

Catherine nodded, snuggling closer. "Can we go visit him tomorrow?"

Gil grinned. "Absolutely."

"Love you, Gil."

He kissed her again. "I love you too, Catherine. Oh, and by the way…"

'Mhm?"

"I like having you here, back in our bed, to hold and snuggle to."

Catherine smiled. "I'm glad to be back here too." She kissed his chest and closed her eyes.

Gil stayed awake for a little longer, watching over his wife and thinking about his new baby son. And he really hoped that 4 weeks was going to go by in a flash.

--

Two weeks had passed since Max's birth, and every day had seen Catherine at the hospital. Even on the days when Gil had to work, she would be up at the hospital, taking her son in her arms and holding him.

She'd talk to him, sing to him, tell him how much everyone loved him. And every night she'd go home and try to adjust to his not being there.

"Mommy sad," Lizzie remarked to her father one day.

"She just misses Max," Gil explained, lifting his daughter up. "Just like we all do."

"Then why doesn't she play with us no more?" Matt asked, racing his car around the toy raceway. "She used to play with us all the time!"

"Well," Gil said, looking at his son, "Mommy thinks it's her fault that Max can't come home right now. But it's not."

"Then why does she think it is?"

Gil sat down on the couch. "Sometimes Mommy's love their children so much, that they think if anything goes wrong, it's their fault."

"How can we make her feel better?"

Gil smiled. "Just by loving her, and being understanding. Giving her lots of hugs."

Catherine came into the living room at the moment, and was besieged with hugs from Matt and Lizzie. "Well…hi guys."

"We love you, Mommy," Lizzie told her.

"I love you guys too," Catherine replied, glancing over at Gil.

He grinned innocently at her.

--

"Can I mash 'tato?" Lizzie asked.

"You stick your hands all in it!" Matt told her.

"I clean 'em first!"

Gil groaned. "Okay, guys, we're here to make Mommy dinner, not to argue. Right Lindsey?"

Lindsey looked over at her father, with an amused smile on her face. "Whatever you say, Dad."

Gil rolled his eyes at her. "Big help you are." He turned to the assembled children. "Okay. What do you guys want to make Mommy for dinner?"

"Chocolatey cake," Lizzie announced.

"Yeah!" Matt agreed.

"Well, that's a nice thought, but Mommy needs to have real dinner before dessert."

"Ice cream first?"

"How about spaghetti?" Lindsey suggested. "It's not too hard to make."

"Slurpee!" Jamie was quite happy to comment on his favourite food.

"Good," Gil nodded. "Spaghetti it is then." He surveyed his kitchen and took a deep breath, hoping it would still look okay once the kids had finished cooking.

--

"Afternoon, Mrs. Grissom," a nurse said, seeing Catherine at the door to the nursery. "I bet I know who you're here to see."

Catherine smiled. "How is he doing?"

"Very well," the nurse replied. "He's put on some more weight, and he's just woken up from a nap. I bet he'd love to see you."

Catherine went into the room and smiled as she saw Max in his crib. "Hi, handsome."

Max looked up at her, his little eyes wide and she lifted him into her arms, settling down on a nearby chair.

"You're doing so well," she murmured, looking down at him. "Mommy will be able to take you home soon."

"At the rate he's progressing, he should be home in two weeks," the nurse told her.

"Has he been taking the breastmilk?" Catherine asked, caressing his soft little cheek.

The nurse nodded. "He's a greedy little guy. I don't think he's going to provide any problems."

Catherine took Max in her arms, letting the nurse help undo the top few buttons of her shirt, so Max could cuddle up to his mother's skin.

"Dr Grad will be sending in a lactation nurse tomorrow. We thought it might be time to see if Max will breastfeed," the nurse told Catherine. "With the kangaroo care you're giving him, plus the fact he's growing so well, we shouldn't have too many problems."

"I'd like that," Catherine murmured, nuzzling her son's skin. "I feel like I've missed out on so much."

The nurse nodded. "But technically, when you think about it, you weren't supposed to meet him for another two weeks anyway."

Catherine grinned. "That's certainly true." Her fingers tickled Max's tummy. "You were just impatient, right?"

Max yawned and closed his eyes.

--


	7. Chapter 7

7

She almost burst into the house that evening, full of excitement. To her surprise, however, the house was quiet. "Gil? Linds? Kids?"

Lindsey trotted down the stairs. "Hey, mom. They're all in the bathroom. There was a slight spaghetti mishap."

Catherine arched an eyebrow. "A spaghetti mishap."

Lindsey nodded. "It sort of exploded. On the plus side though, the chocolate cake turned out great." She smiled broadly. "How's Max?"

"He's doing great." Catherine glanced at her daughter. "When you say exploded…"

"Your kitchen's fine. Your kids and husband are fine too – they're just washing the spaghetti off."

Catherine made her way upstairs and into the master bathroom, which had the biggest bath in the house. Inside, she found Matthew, Lizzie and Jamie in the tub, while Gil knelt beside it. He was covered in spaghetti, and she guessed bubble bath, by the way he dripped onto the floor.

"Mommy!" Jamie said, pointing a finger at her.

Lizzie giggled. "Spaghetti go boom!"

Gil turned around, looking guiltily at his wife. "Hey, baby. How is Max?"

Catherine tried not to giggle. "It went wonderfully. The nurse said I can try breastfeeding him tomorrow."

"That's great!" Gil said, his face lighting up.

"Dare I ask what happened?" Catherine asked.

"Dinner's still good," Gil assured her. "We made spaghetti. There's still most of it left over."

"You're just wearing some of it," Catherine finished.

Gil smiled sweetly at her.

Catherine chuckled. "Okay, well you lot enjoy your bath. Be good for daddy."

"Aren't you going to help me?" Gil squeaked.

"I think you're doing a great job all on your own. Besides, I had nothing to do with the spaghetti exploding." She kissed the top of his head and headed out of the bathroom, laughing all the while.

"Boom!" Lizzie giggled.

--

Half an hour later, it was time to sit down for dinner. With great honor, Matt pulled the chair out for his mother, and then pushed it back in – with a little of Lindsey's help.

"Thank you, Matt," Catherine smiled at him.

"You're welcome," he replied, doing a short little bow and racing back into the kitchen.

Catherine chuckled at his enthusiasm and watched as Gil carried out a plate of spaghetti for her, followed by three little children, who each carried something important. Matt had the cutlery, Lizzie had the salt and pepper, and Jamie dragged a napkin along behind him.

"Wow. I'm being waited on by four very wonderful waiters," she said, smiling as Jamie thrust the napkin up at her. "Thank you, darling."

Gil lifted Jamie into his high chair and sat Lizzie and Matt at the table. He and Lindsey served the rest of the dinner and soon everyone began.

"Can we all go and see Max tomorrow?" Matt asked, quickly tucking in.

Catherine looked at Gil and bit her lip. He nodded and turned to Matt.

"Not tomorrow, guys. Mommy and I need to do some important work at the hospital with Max tomorrow, and this is one time you guys can't help."

Matt nodded wisely. "Okay."

"But I'm sure that he'd love to see you the day after," Catherine encouraged them.

"Can we take him toys?" Lizzie asked.

"Not yet, sweetheart," Gil said. "He's still very tiny, and we have to be careful that he doesn't get hurt."

"Can we make him bigger? What if we give him more water?"

Catherine blinked. "Huh?"

"You always say that's how the garden grows," Matt pointed out. "Why shouldn't it work on Max?"

"Well…uh, Matt," Gil ignored his need to laugh, "Babies and flowers are different."

"Babies come from the garden though, right? That's what you told me."

Gil swallowed the lump in his throat as Catherine lifted an eyebrow at him. "Uh, Matt, you and I are going to have a talk, sometime in the future."

Matt turned to his mother. "Daddy is making no sense."

"Yes, regrettably that is sometimes a problem with Daddies," Catherine said, an amused smile on her face. "But I promise that it will all make sense one day."

"Boys are nuts!" Lizzie decided.

"That too, my darling, is a fact of life," Catherine told her daughter, sipping from her water glass.

--

After the children were in bed, Gil walked into his bedroom. Puzzled when he couldn't find his wife, he went into the bathroom, immediately concerned as he saw her bracing her body against the wall.

"Cath?"

"I'm fine," she gritted out. Her eyes were closed.

"You're not fine. You're in pain…" Gil moved towards her.

"Don't touch me!" Catherine said quickly. "Please…God…"

"Cath…tell me what hurts? What can I do?" Gil tried to ignore the sickening feeling in his stomach. "Has one of the stitches torn? Do I need to take you to hospital?"

"No…" she gritted out. "Shit…the wound…"

"Right, that's it," Gil said. "You have to lie down. You can't stand here all night." He picked her up in his arms, his heart breaking as she cried out in pain and took her into their bedroom. He laid her down on the bed tenderly, before sitting beside her.

"Gil…"

"Shh, baby. I'm going to get you some of the pain meds that Dr Grad sent home with you." He disappeared from the room for a minute and soon returned with water and a bottle. After tipping some tablets into his hand, he handed them to his wife, and helped her sip the water.

Catherine lay back on the bed and Gil tenderly stroked her forehead. "Okay, sweetheart. It's going to be okay."

"Dad?" Lindsey appeared around the door of the room. "Is everything okay?"

Gil turned and smiled at his daughter. "Yes, sweetheart, it's fine. Your mom is just having a lot of pain from the wound."

The teen looked worried. "Do we need to go to the hospital?"

Gil shook his head. "No, it's fine. I've given her some pain meds. The doctor said to expect this after what she's been through. I don't think she took any today."

Lindsey nodded. "Okay. If you need me, just call, okay?"

"Thanks, Lindsey."

After Lindsey had shut the door, Gil turned back to his wife. "Sweetheart, I'm just going to lift up your shirt a little, okay? I want to make sure that the wound is still healing and we don't have any problems."

Catherine nodded, closing her eyes as the pain meds started to kick in.

Gil hesitantly lifted her shirt, trying not to gasp at the scar on her abdomen. It looked angry and sore, but he was relieved to see it wasn't weeping and that the stitches were all in place. He tenderly put her shirt down and smiled reassuringly at her. "No problems, Cath. It does look angry and sore though." He caressed her forehead. "What else can I do to help?"

She shook her head. "The lying down helps. And the pain meds do too." She tugged on his sleeve. "Lie down with me?"

He smiled at her. "Of course."

Moments later he was lying beside her. His hand took hers, stroking it with the pad of his thumb.

"I'd ask you to hold me, but…" Catherine trailed off.

Gil smiled. "Let me improvise, sweetheart." He shifted his body to her as close as possible, and then extended his arm so that it rested around her waist. "How's that?"

Catherine smiled. "Much better."

Gil kissed her forehead. "When you get up during the middle of the night – wake me."

"Gil…"

"Wake me," he said firmly. "And I'll help you. Okay?"

"Okay," she replied. "I love you."

He smiled, kissing her cheek. "I love you too. Get some rest, sweetheart. It's a big day tomorrow."

--


	8. Chapter 8

8

Catherine fidgeted as the car pulled up in front of the hospital. Gil parked the car and glanced at her.

"Cath?"

"Mhm?"

"Is everything okay?"

"Sure."

"Catherine."

She sighed, turning to her husband. "What if he doesn't like me?"

Gil undid his seatbelt and turned his body so that he was facing her. "What do you mean?"

"You know," she said, giving him a meaningful look.

Gil smiled softly, his hands reaching out and tracing the outline of her breasts. "Well, I like them. And so far, Max has seemed to like them too."

Catherine rolled her eyes. "You're a sex maniac."

He grinned. "Yes, well we have enough to children to be evidence of that."

"I'm just nervous."

Gil took her hand and kissed it. "You have nothing to be nervous about. It's all going to be fine." He tugged her hand. "Ready to go feed our hungry little man?"

She nodded. "Ready."

--

"Morning, Gil, Catherine." The nurse smiled at them, welcoming them into the room. "Max is awake, and by the sound of his scream earlier, he's definitely hungry."

"Where is he?" Gil asked, eager to grab a hold of his son.

A different nurse carried the fussing baby out. She handed him over to Gil. "Gil, Catherine, I'm Jenni. I'm going to be helping you this morning with feeding him."

"Hi, handsome," Gil grinned to his son. "You want your mommy, don't you?"

Jenni had Catherine sitting down on a comfortable chair. "Don't be upset or worried if he's not ready to breastfeed yet." She watched as Gil hugged his son. "Although, knowing this little guy, we might be surprised."

Gil smiled at his wife as she unbuttoned her shirt. When she was ready, he handed their son to her.

Catherine cradled Max in her arms, a soft smile on her face as she looked down at him. "Well then," she murmured to him, "let's see if all the practice we've had pays off, little guy."

A few false starts later, and Max was greedily tucking into his breakfast. Catherine's hand caressed the back of his head as he fed, her face a mixture of happiness and relaxation.

Gil watched with a broad grin as his wife breastfed their son, and he reached down, brushing a tear from the corner of her eye with his thumb.

"I knew you could do it," he whispered.

Catherine looked up at him, her eyes bright with unshed tears and her smile wide. "Do you mean me or Max?"

Gil kissed the top of her head. "Both of you."

--

Two weeks later, three hyperactive children and a stressed out teenager awaited the arrival of a new addition to their family.

"BABY TODAY!" Lizzie screeched.

"Baby found," Jamie said, tugging on Lindsey's hand.

"Guys, let's cool our jets, huh?" Lindsey suggested. "It's a baby coming home, not a visit from Maroon 5."

"Who's Maroon 5?" Matt asked. "Is it a color?"

"It's a band," Lindsey explained. "And that's not the important thing here. The important thing here is that Mom and Dad are bringing Max home."

"So why talk about Maroon 5?" Matt said.

Lindsey rolled her eyes. "Okay, forget I said Maroon 5. I actually said The Wiggles."

"WIGGLES!" Lizzie cried.

"But you didn't say The Wiggles," Matt said, looking confused.

Lindsey breathed a sigh of relief when she heard the call pull up. "Now remember guys, Max is very tiny, so we have to be really quiet and careful, okay?"

"Shh," Jamie said.

"Exactly."

--

Outside, Gil came around to Catherine's side of the car and opened the door. Both of them helping the other, they got Max out of his baby seat and into Catherine's arms. He yawned and snuggled closer into Catherine's embrace.

"Mommy!" Lizzie whispered as Gil and Catherine came inside.

"Baby!" Jamie whispered as well.

"Hi, guys," Gil said, hugging each and every one of them. "Mommy and I brought Max home."

The kids all followed Catherine into the lounge room, and she sat down on the sofa, cradling Max in her arms.

Jamie settled himself beside her. "Baby."

"That's right honey, Catherine smiled. "This is your little brother."

"Can we keep him now?" Matt asked. "We don't have to send him back?"

Gil grinned, kissing his wife gently as he tickled Max's stomach. "We're keeping him."

FINIS


End file.
